Never exhibited before but plan on doing my first show in November (should give me enough time to learn a bit to survive it).I have a trio of show quality Aussie Langshans and am wondering if I should split them up in single pens (leaving 1 girl at home) or take the three and enter the breeding pair and 1 in the Aus Lang female. My rooster and his favourite girl are really striking birds, the other pullet is a tiny bit smaller then the other but still a quality bird (shown just before she started to lay by her breeder at local show to get a second place).Anyone care to shine a light on the topic for me?

There are far fewer entries in pairs classes usually. Some people become quite expert at pairing and presenting birds in this way. There are different types of pairs classes but in breeding pairs, they would be judged both on their quality and how well matched they are for breeding. If you want feedback on their quality as individuals you may be better off in the regular classes and most people start there.

I was thinking that was the case.My details have been passed along to the nearest poultry club (they are a bit slow on the website) by a member I met at a recent auction so I can join. The problem is it is a good hours drive away to the club and in a different state. I am in Victoria and the club is in Albury NSW. I wish they had one closer to where we live. Even our local show doesn't have a Poultry Section (Tallangatta)

I'm a firm fan of breeding pairs, or better still trios (although the latter is generally restricted to breed club shows). There is a real art in matching birds up although at times it can be frustrating when judges view the pairs as exhibition, rather than breeding, pairs. They are very different beasts!

We've been toying with the idea of entering a breeding pair in a show this year. I like challenges and it might be a nice challenge to match a pair up. Or match a pair of females.As mentioned above, if you are looking for feedback and/or to see how well your birds can go against others of its breed, then individual is best. It is my understanding that people don't put their best show birds in trio or pair classes...unless they have lots of birds of equal quality.

It is my understanding that people don't put their best show birds in trio or pair classes...unless they have lots of birds of equal quality.

Your best show birds might not be your best breeders. No bird is perfect, there is always a weak point that needs to be strengthened, that's where the art is. You need to see the weaknesses in the male and find the right female to balance it. I breed Aust. Langshans and regularly throw a Splash bird into a breeding trio of Blues if it gives me what I'm looking for.

Exhibition pairs are easy, put your best two available birds together. This raises another issue. Does an Exhibition Pair need to be Male & Female? Personally, I think it can be any two birds, a pair of females or even a pair of males. I am aware of someone that won the Exhibition Pairs at a show with a pair of Modern Game cockerels. They had been raised together and behaved perfectly on show day. I've yet to see a show schedule offering Exhibition Pair classes that specified they had to be opposite sex pairs.

Really? Two cockerels? That's a spin out. I actually think I'd enjoy doing a pair of females in some of our colour varieties and a male/female in other colour varieties.

Our best breeding birds nobody would want to see. Well, maybe the females, but not the males. We have some colour varieties of bantam Sussex where we do overmarked with undermarked. Even the columbian pens (buff, coro, light) we have males with too much black in the breeding pens because we want stronger black in the progeny.

I don't think too many judges would appreciate some people's best breeding pairs or trios. I thinm if someone was going to do breeding pairs or trios it would be a fantasy match up. A 'if best with best really worked with this colour these are the birds I would match up' kind of exhibit.

As for Langshan, the breed mentioned by rikkichikki in the first post, I suppose that isn't an issue? Due to them not being marked. She'd be better matching for complimentary type I guess?

As for Langshan, the breed mentioned by rikkichikki in the first post, I suppose that isn't an issue? Due to them not being marked. She'd be better matching for complimentary type I guess?

That's not correct. Blue Langshans are marked. You can have Blues that are too dark or too light. I've a trio of Blues that I intend showing as a breeding trio consisting of a "to light for exhibition" male mated with an over-laced pullet and a blue-bred black hen. The black hen fades of to blue in the fluff and is clearly blue-bred. All birds are excellent type, it's just the colour I'm correcting. A judge will immediately recognise that none of the birds are exhibition but the corrective mating will produce quality show birds.

I think you will find that good judges will appreciate a properly made up balanced pair.

My understanding of Breeding Pair or Trio is that they are just that a breeding set of birds....ie Cock and Female or Cock and 2 Females. This class allows for birds that cannot win in a single class ie pullet breeding Andalusian Cock bird will have a weak comb (falling to one side) but be good in every other aspect, cockerel breeding hen (straight comb not folded over) etc etc etc.

At the 2011, or was it 2012, Langshan Club of Australia, the Reserve Champion Large Fowl was a pullet from a breed pair. The top bird was the winning pullet in the single classes owned by the same exhibitor. Interestingly, the pullet that was Reserve Champion came from the second placed breed pair. A case of a very good pullet let down in her class by the male but she caught the judges eye and he had no hesitation in going back to look at her when selecting his major awards. A case of a judge calling it as he sees it, not as everyone expects it.

Still, despite judges being briefed that birds in the pair classes are eligible for Best of Breed or other awards most generally don't bother to look.

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